Coaches across the Valley optimistic about squads

WASILLA — With a regular season that’s only six weeks long, Alaska cross-country running teams don’t have a lot of time to figure out where they sit among the pack.

Local coaches and athletes have learned a bit during the first two weeks of the season. The Colony girls boast the most veterans in the Valley, the Wasilla boys added a key young talent, and Colony, Wasilla, Palmer and Houston all have runners with potential to grab top-5 spots in their respective races at the Region III meet, which is now only one month away.

Palmer Moose

Palmer head coach John Bishop saw his first piece of good news on his team’s first day of practice.

The Moose have 30 runners on the roster, 10 better than last year.

“We’re stacked with freshmen,” Bishop said. “Seven new freshmen girls and a handful of guys.”

But Palmer doesn’t just sport a team full of young runners. The Moose return one of the top runners in the Region III-4A girls class, senior Ruby Woodings, who was third in the region meet last year.

“She’s looking pretty strong this year. We’re hoping to get a little more speed out of Ruby this year,” Bishop said. “This year is going to be good.”

The Moose girls also return another senior, Rya Berrigan. Bishop said Woodings and Berrigan are undoubtedly the leaders on the team, and will be joined by a mix of young runners.

“I think we’ll have a competitive team,” Bishop said. “We’ll be in the mix.”

Palmer finished fifth in the girls’ class at the Tsalteshi Invitational in Soldotna last week, and was the top team in Region III in the event which is held on the same trails as the 2016 Region III Championships, slated for Sept. 24.

Palmer finished with 155 total points, one lower that sixth-place Colony.

On the boys’ side, Palmer’s leaders include sophomore Leif Mumma, who was 11th in regions last year. The Moose also have sophomore Connor Owens, who tied Mumma’s time of 18:02 last week.

Colony Knights

The team that fell just a point shy of rival Palmer in the girls’ standings of the Tsalteshi Invitational could boast the most veteran talent among any team in the Valley.

“Nothing is really new with us,” Colony head coach Rhonda Knopp said recently.

Colony did lose two athletes from a squad that finished as the Region III runner-up last year. Jordyn Block graduated and Alex Mathis moved with her family to the Lower 48. But the Knights boast a boatload of experience. The list includes junior Jill Bowker, who was fifth in regions last year. Seniors Elisabeth Bowker, Cathelyne Powers, Coleen Geraghty, and junior Amanda Mayer also return.

“These are seasoned runners with experience,” Knopp said. “They’re looking to do their best.”

On the boys’ side, Colony returns its top runner, senior Tracen Knopp, from a squad that finished third in the region team standings last year. Knopp, who was fourth in regions last year, finished third in the Tslateshi last week.

“He felt good. It lets him know where he is at,” Rhonda Knopp said. “He picked it up, and just pushed it to the finish.”

The Knights did lose a pair of runners who finished in the top 10 at the region meet last year. Dakota Peterson-Thompson graduated, and senior Dawson Knopp will miss the season due to injury. But like the girls’, Knopp is happy about the pieces she has on the boys’ squad. That group includes senior Jeff Lautrup and sophomore Jackson Peters

The Knights also have a newcomer on the boys team, freshman Gavin Block.

Colony has an addition to its coaching staff. Norm Rousey has joined his sister Rhonda Knopp in an official capacity as a Colony coach this year. Rousey was a two-time 4A state cross-country champion at Palmer High School in 1989 and 1991.

Wasilla Warriors

The Wasilla Warriors have spent the first two weeks working to see where the Wasilla boys’ team fits among Region III elite. Wasilla captured the boys team title in the season-opener, the Colony Invitational, Aug. 13, besting Kodiak, which has had a stranglehold on the region for years.

Last week, Wasilla finished ninth overall in the 20-team Tsalteshi Invite, and finished third, behind Kodiak and Colony, among Region III teams in the field. Regardless, Wasilla head coach Leslie Varys is excited about the potential of her boys program this year.

“They’ve all been working so hard for so long,” Varys said earlier this year. “It’s really exciting for them.”

The Warriors return key veterans such as juniors Izaak Bell and Kaleb Greathouse. Wasilla also welcomed freshman Hunter Hayes, who has already made a splash during his first two weeks of his high school career. Hayes made his debut at the Colony Invite, using a fourth-place mark to finish as the top Valley runner in the varsity boys’ race. Last week, he was 12th in the Tsalteshi, and the third Region III runner to cross the finish line.

“We’ve been waiting for him to come up,” Varys said of Hayes. “For a freshman boy to be that good, it’s pretty special.”

On the girls’ side, Wasilla didn’t draw the number of athletes it has in the past, but Varys has been pleased with the work of the girls on the roster. Carissa Vazquez has emerged as a leader on the girls’ squad.

Varys said former Wasilla High running standout Jessica Pahkala has returned to her alma mater to join the coaching staff. Pahkala was part of a pair of state championship teams in both cross-country running and track and field before moving on to compete at the college level at UAA. Pahkala capped her running career with the Seawolves last spring.

Houston Hawks

The Houston Hawks saw a drop in participation this year, from 17 runners in 2015 to 11 currently on the team, but first-year head coach Bob Knutson is optimistic about the athletes he has on the team.

“We’ve had some personal successes,” Knutson said recently.

The Hawks only have two girls on the squad, but one of them, sophomore Allison VanPelt, is already among the top girls’ 123A runners in the state. VanPelt, who finished fourth in the girls’ varsity Region III-3A race as a freshman, was the second small-schools runner to cross the finish line during the Tsalteshi Invitational last week.

“Allison is doing fantastic,” Knutson said. “There is no sign of peaking yet. She’s going to continue to get better as we go throughout the year.”

On the boys’ side, the Hawks return senior veterans Jens Knutson and Isaac Smolden, and sophomore Riley Scott.

Jens Knutson and Scott were Houston’s top two boys during the Tsalteshi, both finishing with times of 18:38. Bob Knutson said Jens had Scott but just a step. Scott recorded a personal best with his time.

Smolden, Knutson said, was voted team captain this year.

Redington Huskies

Redington has the smallest roster among Valley teams. The second-year school currently has five runners on its cross-country roster.

“At Redington, football draws most of the boys and volleyball draws most of the girls,” Redington head coach Susan Skvorc said recently. “There aren’t many left for other activities.”

On the positive side, three of the five runners on the team finished the season with Skvorc last year. The Huskies have sophomores Tommi Crist and Alyssa Tachick on the girls’ side, and sophomore Ryan Kirn on the boys’ side.

Like Houston, Redington competes in the Region III-3A class.

The Valley’s five cross-country program continues their season Saturday at the Bartlett Invitational in Anchorage.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.